Quaglione proposes new video and photo database to help defeat local crime

Eyes on the Street’ Lets Civilians Help Fight Crime

May 1, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

City Council candidate John Quaglione with retired NYPD Officer Joseph Freda. Eagle photo by John Alexander

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With the reported 25 percent spike in felony assaults this past year, and a 9 percent increase in burglaries in Bay Ridge, a candidate for City Council has proposed a more efficient way to fight rising crime in our neighborhoods.

John Quaglione’s plan calls for greater civilian involvement in cutting crime through the use of modern technology in anti-crime efforts by making iPhones and home security cameras an important part of the battle to keep the streets safe.

Quaglione, deputy chief of staff to state Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn), is one of three Republicans running in the GOP primary on Sept. 12 for the seat in the 43rd City Council District. His opponents are Bob Capano and Liam McCabe.

The Democrats running in the Democratic primary, also set for Sept. 12, are Justin Brannan, Kevin Peter Carroll, Rev. Khader El-Yateem and Nancy Tong.

The seat is currently held by Democrat Vincent Gentile, who is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.

Quaglione held a press conference outside the 68th Precinct on Friday to detail his initiative. The 68th Precinct covers Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, and the 62nd Precinct serves the residents of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach.

Quaglione said that if he is elected to the city council he would immediately “help fund and establish a city-wide photo and video database provided by civilians that could help police stop crime, prevent crime and arrest those responsible for crime.” The database would be accessible to all community boards directly and civic associations would be invited to participate in the project.

The database would be overseen by NYPD, which would receive uploads of video and photographic evidence of misdemeanors (small crimes) from citizens. After NYPD reviews these videos, they would be released publicly online to assist police in fighting crime because, Quaglione said, “civilians might in fact recognize people involved or be able to provide initial information to help solve crimes and to prevent crimes from occurring.”

Retired NYPD Officer Joseph Freda, Dyker Heights community activist Angela Sarro and 62nd Precinct Community Council member Eileen LaRuffa joined Quaglione at the press conference.

According to Quaglione, the database would be called “Eyes on the Street.”

“We have had a tremendous increase in the number of packages being stolen from people’s stoops and lobbies in apartment buildings,” he said. “We have had a high number of break-ins, where people are just walking up and down the street checking to see if your doors are open so they can take your valuable possessions. There’s also been an increase in graffiti on the streets, as well as other quality of life crimes that we are no longer willing to accept.”

Eyes on the Street would allow video from iPhones and home surveillance cameras to be directly uploaded to an official NYPD site. It would then be broken down by neighborhood or police precinct so that anyone in that area who has experienced a similar crime would be able to log onto the system and search out other similar crimes in the community.

“This proposed plan of action will allow residents to be more active and involved,” said Quaglione. “It will also help the police find these perpetrators sooner so that we can have less packages stolen, less graffiti drawn on our walls and businesses and less cars broken into. It’s a common-sense approach to improving our public safety and our quality of life.”